Milana Bakhaeva: in Chechnya, special agents use violence against 10 convicts

During the raid held on October 23, staff members of the special forces of the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) used violence against 10 prisoners kept in a punishment isolation ward of the penal colony No. 2 located in the village of Chernokozovo of the Naur District of Chechnya. This was reported by Milana Bakhaeva, a member of the Chechen Public Monitoring Commission (PMC).

According to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", in the course of the raid, special agents abused prisoners and beat them with feet and batons. The fighters of special troops ordered some of the prisoners to take off their clothes, then lined up to form a so-called corridor and forced the prisoners to go through it, and beat them with batons and kicked them. This was reported by the message of the HRC "Memorial" of November 1 that was received by the "Caucasian Knot".

On October 25, the penal colony was visited by the Working Group of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) of the ChechenRepublic.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Milana Bakhaeva, the member of the PMC, that she was most shocked by the story of Khavazh Djamalkhanov. "He suffers from cranial trauma, and a plate is inserted on the top of his head. Special agents did not just beat him, but also forcibly shaved his head. Shaving caused him pain, and he was crying," Milana Bakhaeva has said.

According to her, three of the prisoners cut their veins to stop the violence against themselves.

After obtaining at the Chernokozovo penal colony the information about beatings and abuses of prisoners committed by special fighters, the members of the PMC have filed to the administration of the FSIN Department the complaint about violation of the rules of law and also sent the information about beatings of prisoners to the Prosecutor's Office.